Paper plates are a huge problem here in Texas. And no, not the kind that holds your Nana's deviled eggs at Thanksgiving.

Temporary paper plates on vehicles are easy to fake- letting criminals, the unlicensed, and the uninsured still drive around.

It's easy to see how they could be used to steal cars, run drugs, and other illegal activities.

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Sadly, Officer Brandon Tsai was killed pursuing Colbie Hoffman in November 2022. Tsai attempted to pull Hoffman over for failure to yield, according to NBCDFW.

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Hoffman ran because he had fake paper plates. He made a sudden turn, causing Tsai to crash into a pole, killing him. Hoffman pled guilty and received 12 years.

To prevent future tragedies, a new law was passed to combat the paper plates problem.

HB718, a bipartisan bill authored by Craig Goldman, was passed in June of 2023, but will not be active until July 2025.

Now, there are attempts to "undo" the effects of the bill. But who could have a problem with this? The Texas Auto Dealership Association.

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They argue that metal plates can be faked too; however, I love this YouTube comment, as it succinctly counter-argues that:

Any idiot can print out a fake tag with a printer, it takes specialized machinery to process fake metal plates. It's just common sense.

Additionally, fraudulent metal plates are easier to detect by plate readers than paper ones, according to KAXN.

To see how common fraudulent paper tags are, and how easy they are to make, check out this video on the counterfeit paper plate issue:

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Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark/TSM

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